TWO housemates abused two underage schoolgirls under the same roof on Teesside.

Craig Thorpe, 18, and Christopher Freer, 25, touched two of the young girls who visited their home, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Now the convicted child sex offenders are each starting a two-and-a-half year sentence behind bars.

Judge Peter Armstrong told Thorpe: “Visiting that house were young girls who were abused.

“Prison sentences are appropriate, not just to deter you and others who might be like-minded to commit offences of this nature but to protect girls from themselves.

“They are flattered by the attentions of older boys and young men. They were not at fault at all.

“They're simply too young to cope with this sort of behaviour. It is young men like you who overstep the line who are to blame.”

Rumours spread about goings-on in the unusual household last year.

Thorpe lived there with his older girlfriend, her ex Freer and her three children - said to be fathered by Freer. Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said two girls told their families they had been sexually touched - one repeatedly by Thorpe, the other once by Freer.

The girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said they were scared to ask the men to stop.

The complaint by Thorpe’s distressed victim sparked a police investigation.

Thorpe asked her to expose herself on a webcam and suggested sex acts to her.

The men knew the girls were aged 12 to 13, and also contacted them via an internet messenger program.

Both confessed what they had done to police and said they knew it was wrong.

Thorpe, later of Davison Street, Lingdale, admitted two sexual assault charges and two of sexual activity with a child. Freer, later of Selbourne Street, Middlesbrough, admitted one count of sexual activity with a child. Neither had previous convictions.

Katherine Dunn, defending Thorpe, said he bitterly regretted and understood the impact of his actions: “He just wishes he could turn the clock back.”

She said he was so embarrassed he only admitted his crimes to his mother on the day of sentence. She stood by him in court.

Miss Dunn said Thorpe was very immature, had below-average intelligence and had technically been the victim of sexual abuse himself, starting his first sexual relationship with his older girlfriend when he was 15.

She said as soon as the older Freer moved in, Thorpe noticed “quite a lot of young girls came round to visit”.

She said Thorpe saw Freer kissing, cuddling and, he believed, in a relationship with the other girl, and began to see it as normal.

Stephen Constantine, for Freer, said he showed remorse, shame and embarrassment for a single momentary lapse which was not repeated and happened at a low point in his life.

He said Freer took steps to make sure it would never happen again, taking a course and counselling.

Both men were given indefinite sexual offences prevention orders, banned from working with children and will be registered as sex offenders.